


If Wishes Were Horses

by Verasteine



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Community: h50bingo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-30
Updated: 2012-04-30
Packaged: 2018-02-21 22:26:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2484539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verasteine/pseuds/Verasteine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even when Danny is absent, he's still there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If Wishes Were Horses

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the ' _limbo bar_ ' square on my [](http://h50bingo.livejournal.com/profile)[**h50bingo**](http://h50bingo.livejournal.com/) card. Don't let it be said I'm not creative in my interpretations. Thanks to [](http://eumelia.livejournal.com/profile)[**eumelia**](http://eumelia.livejournal.com/) and [](http://kilawater.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://kilawater.livejournal.com/)**kilawater** for looking this over.

"He'll be okay, brah," Chin says as he puts the beer bottle down in front of Steve.

"Yeah, boss," Kono chimes in, "he'll be up and ranting in no time."

Steve tries to smile to show both of them he appreciates their attempts at cheering him up, but it falters. He runs a finger over the rim of the bottle. "Yeah."

Chin takes a seat across from him. "Danny's made of sturdy stuff, Steve."

"Yeah, but--" _A coma_ , the doctors had said. And, _we'll know more when he wakes_. He sighs. "Okay."

Kono chinks her bottle against his. "Danny wouldn't want us to lose heart."

Steve manages to keep from saying that Danny is currently lying in a hospital bed and doesn't want anything. "Yeah."

Chin slips his cell phone from his pocket and puts it on the table. Steve looks at it. "They'll call when there's news," Chin says, catching his eye. "You know they will."

Steve nods, swallows, reminds himself they're his team and it isn't their job to cheer him up. That's usually Danny's part. He carefully ignores the sting of Danny's absence. "Of course." He puts the bottle to his mouth, drains half of it, then stops himself. "He'll be back before we know it."

Kono nods encouragingly, but her smile is forced and in her eyes Steve can see the doubts. He puts his hand on her arm for a second. Danny always calls her _rookie_ , jokes around with her at times like these until she's forgotten her worries.

"Remember that time," Chin says suddenly, "that Danny got pineapple juice on his tie?"

Steve can't stop the smile from spreading on his face at the memory. "With the waitress who--"

"Oh god," Kono interjects, eyes shining, "and the kitten! He wouldn't stop ranting for a day and he wouldn't take the tie off because he didn't have a spare."

" _I like to look like a professional_." Chin laughs, unable to quite mimic Danny's cadence of voice, but he gets close. " _Just because you don't understand that..._ "

They're all laughing now, and Steve drinks some more beer, feels less like he wants to drain the whole bottle and go straight for the next. Chin catches his eye again, nods incrementally. Steve nods back, digs into his own memories. "Remember the case with the bank robbers who wanted real pizza?"

"The hostage situation?" Kono begins to grin again. "The guys who said that _real pizza_ had pineapple on it?"

Danny's face had been utterly priceless. " _Are all criminals crazy on this rock?_ "

Kono picks up where he left off. " _Is it something you put in the water? Something you give them from birth?_ "

"Wasn't there something about indoctrination in there?" Chin adds.

Steve and Kono exchange a quick look. "Yes," Steve says, "something... what was it, about schools?"

Kono nods enthusiastically. " _Do you teach it to them in schools? Should I be worried about your education system indoctrinating my daughter?_ That's what it was!"

Steve remembers the argument that followed that particular gem with fondness, smiles at the memory. For a moment, he feels Danny's absence at the table, remembers where Danny is, and his chest stabs. He drinks more beer, doesn't glance at the empty seat.

Kono puts a hand on his shoulder and squeezes. "He's strong, boss. Trust me."

Steve takes a breath, meets her eyes. "I know."

His eyes slide to the phone, which remains stubbornly silent on the table.

Chin's voice makes him look up. "More beer, Steve?"

He nods in reply.

\--  
 _finis._


End file.
